Summer Vegetable Risotto

Italian risotto made with summer vegetables such as corn, bell peppers, green onions and basil.

Photography Credit:
Elise Bauer

Just when the days begin to get noticeably shorter, and the air cooler, we get hit with a heat wave that reminds us that yes, it is still officially summer, even though every kid you know is back in school.

The basil in the garden is so full, it’s spilling over the garden bed walls! Even the monster cucumber plant can’t keep it down.

There is still plenty of corn to choose from at the farmer’s market, as well as bright shades of colorful bell peppers.

Here’s a simple risotto that showcases the best of the summer vegetables — bell peppers, corn, and basil.

Method

2 Sauté garlic and rice in olive oil: In another pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the olive oil is shimmery hot, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the rice and coat with the olive oil. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, at which point the rice will begin to smell nutty.

3 Add the wine: Add the white wine to the rice and stir. From this point on, you will be stirring the risotto rice almost constantly. After a minute or two the rice will have absorbed the wine and when you stir, the spoon will leave streaks on the bottom of the pan.

4 Start adding water, a cup at a time: Add a cup of the hot water to the pot. Add a generous pinch of salt. Stir until the water has been absorbed by the rice and your spoon is again leaving a trail at the bottom of the pan.

Add another cup of hot water and repeat.

5 Add the corn and bell pepper: When the second cup of water is absorbed, add the corn and red bell pepper.

Add another cup of water and stir until it is absorbed.

Repeat with another cup of water and another healthy pinch of salt.

6 Stir in the green onions and Parmesan: By now the rice should be close to being done; it should be fully cooked but still al dente, a little firm, not completely soft. When the rice reaches this stage, stir in the green onions and grated parmesan.

When the water has been completely absorbed, add a little more water so the risotto is loose. The risotto should fill a bowl, not sit on a plate.

7 Stir in the basil and butter, and sprinkle with black pepper to taste. Once the butter has melted, serve at once.

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.

I came across this recipe and made it within minutes of finding it! It was absolutely wonderful! I had a bunch of grilled summer veggies leftover from a cookout this weekend and used those! I’ve already passed the recipe on to several people! Thanks so much for sharing!!

Delicioso! Made this tonight, albeit tweaked (used veg broth, and added fresh parsley and oregano), with seared tilapia topped with your pesto, and steamed garlic broccoli. Almost no leftovers is my sign that it was a hit! I was able to use corn from a friend’s farm, and peppers and herbs from our garden…sigh…there really is no time like the summer. Thank you for simple recipes that allow the flavors of the foods to shine.

I’d like to make this soon given my ample supply of basil but I’m uncertain about the amount of basil to use. I grow a very small leaf variety and it’s delicious but I don’t know how to translate the 10-12 leaves called for in the recipe.

Oh, how pretty and delicious that looks. I could eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I appreciate how precisely you are timing the entrances of the various vegetable ingredients. It’s so worth it for the beautiful textures that complement the flavor and look of this dish.